Running board mechanism for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A running board assembly for a vehicle may include a stationary board fixed to a vehicle body, a movable board separately coupled to the stationary board and selectively movable up and down with respect to the stationary board, a stopper pin selectively coupling the movable board and the stationary board to stop a vertical motion of the movable board to a predetermined position, and a stopper pin-manipulation unit included in the movable board and connected to the stopper pin, wherein when the movable board may be subjected to a load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit decouples magnetically the stopper pin from the stationary board, and wherein when the movable board may be not subjected to the load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit maintains a state of the stopper pin being coupled to the stationary board.

CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent ApplicationNumber 10-2013-0160760 filed Dec. 20, 2013, the entire contents of whichare incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to a running board mechanismfor a vehicle and, more particularly, to a running board mechanism for avehicle which is designed to vertically move down and return to itsoriginal position.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a running board 1 aids entryinto recreational vehicles (RVs) which have higher ground clearancescompared to a sedan.

However, since a conventional running board is simply fixed to a vehiclebody 2 (i.e. as a side seal outer panel), there is a drawback in that itis inconvenient for passengers such as the elderly, the disabled andchildren to step on the running board due to the increased groundclearances and for fear of falling and/or injuring themselves in theprocess of stepping onto and/or off the running board.

The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section isonly for enhancement of understanding of the general background of theinvention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form ofsuggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to aperson skilled in the art

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing arunning board mechanism for a vehicle, which, when subjected to a load,vertically moves down and returns to its original position, therebyimproving convenience of a passenger, particularly the elderly, thedisabled and children, when getting on and off a vehicle.

In an aspect of the present invention, 1. A running board assembly for avehicle, may include a stationary board fixed to a vehicle body, amovable board separately coupled to the stationary board and selectivelymovable up and down with respect to the stationary board, a stopper pinselectively coupling the movable board and the stationary board to stopa vertical motion of the movable board to a predetermined position, anda stopper pin-manipulation unit may include d in the movable board andconnected to the stopper pin, wherein when the movable board issubjected to a load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit decouplesmagnetically the stopper pin from the stationary board, and wherein whenthe movable board is not subjected to the load, the stopperpin-manipulation unit maintains a state of the stopper pin being coupledto the stationary board.

The running board assembly may further may include a stationary boardguide fixed to the stationary board, and a movable board guide fixed tothe stationary board guide, the movable board guide movable along thestationary board guide in a vertical direction of the stationary boardguide.

The running board assembly may further include a weight providedadjacent to the stationary board guide and vertically movable along thestationary board guide, and a connection wire connecting the movableboard guide and the weight.

The movable board may include a board body to which the movable boardguide is fixed, a board cover selectively engaged to an upper portion ofthe board body, and a board spring placed between the board body and theboard cover and elastically biasing the board cover away from the boardbody to allow the board cover to extend or retract elastically in avertical direction.

The stopper pin is mounted in the movable board guide, and thestationary board guide may include a plurality of pin-holes formed witha predetermined vertical interval therebetween along a verticaldirection of the stationary board guide, wherein the stopper pin isselectively inserted and engaged into one of the pin-holes in accordancewith movement of the movable board.

The stopper pin-manipulation unit may include a lower terminal fixedlycoupled to an upper portion of the board body, wherein a first side ofthe lower terminal protrudes upwards from the board body and a secondside of the lower terminal is mounted to the board body and electricallyconnected to a power supply, an upper terminal fixedly coupled to alower portion of the board cover, wherein a first side of the upperterminal protrudes downwards from the lower portion of the board covertowards the lower terminal, a coil coiled around the upper terminal, amovable body that is slidably mounted in the board cover and movabletowards the upper terminal when the lower and upper terminals come intocontact and the upper terminal is magnetized by an electric current fromthe power supply, and a pin wire connecting the stopper pin and themovable body.

The stopper pin-manipulation unit may further include a return springpositioned between the stopper pin and the movable board guide at bothfirst and second sides of the return spring respectively and providingan elastic force to move the stopper pin towards the stationary boardguide when the lower and upper terminals which were in contact with eachother during magnetization are separated, thus being demagnetized.

The stopper pin-manipulation unit may further include a movable bodyguide provided to the board cover, the movable body being slidablyreceived in the movable body guide and slides along the movable bodyguide.

Since the running board mechanism separately may include the stationaryboard fixed to the vehicle body and the movable board vertically movablerelative to the stationary board so that the passenger can get on andoff the vehicle while stepping on the downwardly moved movable board, soas to make it convenient for the passenger, particularly the elderly,the disabled and children, to board on the running board when getting onand off a vehicle.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other featuresand advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in moredetail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, andthe following Detailed Description, which together serve to explaincertain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a view illustrating a conventional running board mechanismfor a vehicle.

FIG. 1B is an exploded view illustrating a portion of the conventionalrunning board mechanism for a vehicle.

FIG. 2A is a view illustrating a running board mechanism for a vehiclehaving a movable board according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2B is a view illustrating operation of the running board mechanismfor the vehicle having a movable board according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a view illustrating a stationary board and a moving boardraised from the stationary board when viewed from inside according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is an exploded view illustrating a portion of the stationaryboard and the moving board raised from the stationary board when viewedfrom inside according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a stationary board guide and a movableboard guide, and a weight according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a stopper pin-manipulation unit accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the operation of the stopperpin-manipulation unit shown in FIG. 5 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a view illustrating the movable board being moved downaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is an exploded view illustrating a portion of the movable boardbeing moved down according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarilyto scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of variouspreferred features illustrative of the basic principles of theinvention. The specific design features of the present invention asdisclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions,orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by theparticular intended application and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent partsof the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of thepresent invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) willbe described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will beunderstood that the present description is not intended to limit theinvention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, theinvention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplaryembodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalentsand other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scopeof the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings so that thoseskilled in the Field of the Invention to which the present inventionpertains may carry out the exemplary embodiment.

The present invention relates to a running board mechanism for avehicle, which, when subjected to a load, vertically moves down andreturns to its original position, thereby improving convenience of apassenger, particularly the elderly, the disabled and children, whengetting on and off a vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 7B, the running board mechanism for a vehicle towhich the technique of the present invention is adapted may have theconfiguration in which a running board body 10 includes a stationaryboard 11 and a movable board 12. The stationary board 11 and the movableboard 12 that are separately coupled are operated such that, when apassenger applies a load to the movable board 12 while stepping on themovable board 12, the movable board 12 moves down, and when thepassenger steps off the movable board, the movable board 12 maintainsits lowered position. When the passenger applies a load to the loweredmovable board while stepping on the movable board, the movable board 12moves up again to its original position and when the passenger steps offthe elevated movable board, the movable board 12 maintains its originalposition.

The running board mechanism for the vehicle may include a movable board12 which is separated from a stationary board 11 that is fixed to thevehicle body 2 and is configured to move up and down with respect to thestationary board 11, a stopper pin 20 which is included in the movableboard 12 and is coupled to the stationary board 11 so as to stop avertical motion of the movable board 12, and a stopper pin-manipulationunit 30 which is included in the movable board 12 so as to be connectedwith the stopper pin 20 such that when the movable board 12 is subjectedto a load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit 30 magnetically moves thestopper pin 20 away from the stationary board 11 throughelectromagnetism by a magnetic field produced through electric currentfrom the power supply 31. When the movable board 12 is not subjected toa load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit 30 maintains a state of thestopper pin 20 being coupled to the stationary board 11.

In an aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the runningboard mechanism may further include a stationary board guide 40 which isvertically and fixedly mounted to the stationary board 11, a movableboard guide 50 which is coupled to the stationary board guide 40 so thatthe movable board guide 50 moves along the stationary board guide 40 ina vertical direction, a weight 60 which is provided in the stationaryboard 11 so as to move vertically along the stationary board guide 40,and a connection wire 70 which connects the movable board guide 50 tothe weight 60.

The movable board 12 may include a board body 12 a to which the movableboard guide 50 is coupled and a board cover 12 c which is coupled to anupper portion of the board body 12 a. Board Cover 12 c may beconstructed with a board spring 12 b to allow board cover 12 c to extendand retract elastically in a vertical direction. The board cover 12 c isa portion of the moveable board 12 on which a passenger can step.

The stopper pin 20 is included in the movable board guide 50, and thestationary board guide 40 is constructed with a plurality of pin-holes41, positioned at predetermined vertical intervals, into which thestopper pin 20 may be inserted and engaged. In FIGS. 3A, 3B and 7A and7B, two pin holes 41 are provided on upper and lower parts,respectively, of the stationary board 40 along the vertical directionthereof, without a limitation thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the stopper pin-manipulation unit 30 mayinclude a lower terminal 32 which is fixedly coupled to the board body12 a such that a first side thereof protrudes upwards from the boardbody 12 a and a second side thereof is connected to a power supply 31,an upper terminal 33 which is fixedly coupled to the board cover 12 csuch that a first side thereof protrudes downwards from the board cover12 c and towards the lower terminal 32, a coil 34 coiled around theupper terminal 33, a movable body 35 which is magnetically movabletowards the upper terminal 33—being electrically magnetized through amagnetic field produced by electric current from the power supply31—when the lower and upper terminals 32 and 33 come into contact, and apin wire 36 which connects the stopper pin 20 and the movable body 35.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a ground of theelectricity may be connected to the coil 34 through the board cover 12 cor through the lower terminal 32 but is not limited thereto.

The stopper pin-manipulation unit may further include a return spring 37which is supported by and positioned between the stopper pin 20 and themovable board guide 50 at both first and second sides. The return springprovides an elastic force to move the stopper pin 20 towards thestationary board guide 40 when the lower and upper terminals 32 and 33which were in contact with each other during magnetization are thenseparated, thus being demagnetized. The stopper pin-manipulation unitmay also include a movable body guide 38 which is provided to the boardcover 12 c so as to guide the motion of the movable body 35.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 5 illustrate a configuration where the movable board 12has moved up and maintains a raised position. At this position, theboard body 12 a and the board cover 12 c are separated from each otherby an elastic force due to the board spring 12 b pushing against theboard body 12 a and the board cover 12 c in opposite directions. Thestopper pin 20 is moved towards the stationary board guide 40 andinserted and engaged into the pin hole 41 on the upper side of thestationary board guide 40 by the elastic force due to the return spring37 pushing on the stopper pin 20.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the operation of the stopperpin-manipulation unit shown in FIG. 5 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. When a passenger steps on the boardcover 12 c, as shown in FIG. 6, the board cover 12 c is moved down sothat the upper terminal 33 comes into contact with the lower terminal 32by current flowing through the coil 34, thus electrically magnetizingthe lower and upper terminals 32 and 33.

When the lower and upper terminals 32 and 33 become electricallymagnetized, the movable body 35 formed from a steel material or anysimilar material capable of being magnetized is magnetically attractedtowards the upper terminal 33, the stopper pin 36 is drawn as the upperterminal 33 moves, so that the stopper pin 20 is moved towards themovable board guide 50 by its drawing force, and thus the stopper pin 20is decoupled from the pin hole 41.

When the stopper pin 20 is decoupled from the pin hole 41, as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B, the movable board 12 is entirely moved down by theforce applied by a passenger, and at the same time, the weight 60connected with the movable board guide 50 via the connection wire 70 ismoved up along the stationary board guide 40.

In an aspect of the present invention, when the passenger steps off theboard cover 12 c in a state where the movable board 12 has been moveddown, as shown in FIG. 5, the board cover 12 c is moved away from theupper portion of the board body 12 a by the elastic force of the boardspring 12 b acting with opposite forces on the board cover 12 c and theboard body 12 a so that the lower and upper terminals 32 and 33 areseparated from each other, being demagnetized. The stopper pin 20 ismoved towards the stationary board guide 40 and into the pin hole 41 onthe lower side of the stationary board guide 40 by the elastic force ofthe return spring 37. As a result, the movable board 12 is fixed at thelowered position, and at this state, a passenger can conveniently get onand off a vehicle while stepping on the lowered movable board 12. Whenthe passenger steps on the movable board 12 at a lowered position forgetting on and off a vehicle, the passenger gets on and off the vehicleby stepping on a section other than the board cover 12 c.

When the passenger intends to raise and return the movable board 12again to its original position, as described before, the passenger stepson the board cover 12 c. The lower and upper terminals 32 and 33 becomeelectrically magnetized again, and the stopper pin 20 is decoupled fromthe pin hole 41 on the lower side of the stationary board guide 40. Inthis state, when the passenger gradually steps off the board cover, theweight 60 is moved down along the stationary board guide 40 and themovable board 12 is moved up and returns to its original position asshown in FIG. 3. The returned movable board 12 then maintains its raisedoriginal position as the stopper pin 20 is inserted into the pin hole 41on the upper side of the stationary board guide 40, being in a stateready for the next use.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appendedclaims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner” and “outer” are used todescribe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to thepositions of such features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention have been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain certain principles of the invention and their practicalapplication, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make andutilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as wellas various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto andtheir equivalents.

1. A running board assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a stationaryboard fixed to a vehicle body such that the stationary board does notmove relative to the vehicle body; a movable board separately coupled tothe stationary board and selectively movable up and down with respect tothe stationary board; a stopper pin selectively coupling the movableboard and the stationary board to stop a vertical motion of the movableboard to a predetermined position; and a stopper pin-manipulation unitincluded in the movable board and connected to the stopper pin, whereinwhen the movable board is subjected to a load, the stopperpin-manipulation unit decouples magnetically the stopper pin from thestationary board, and wherein when the movable board is not subjected tothe load, the stopper pin-manipulation unit maintains a state of thestopper pin being coupled to the stationary board.
 2. The running boardassembly for the vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: astationary board guide fixed to the stationary board; and a movableboard guide fixed to the stationary board guide, the movable board guidemovable along the stationary board guide in a vertical direction of thestationary board guide.
 3. The running board assembly for the vehicleaccording to claim 2, further comprising: a weight provided adjacent tothe stationary board guide and vertically movable along the stationaryboard guide; and a connection wire connecting the movable board guideand the weight.
 4. The running board assembly for the vehicle accordingto claim 2, wherein the movable board comprises: a board body to whichthe movable board guide is fixed; a board cover selectively engaged toan upper portion of the board body; and a board spring placed betweenthe board body and the board cover and elastically biasing the boardcover away from the board body to allow the board cover to extend orretract elastically in a vertical direction.
 5. The running boardassembly for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the stopper pinis mounted in the movable board guide, and the stationary board guideincludes a plurality of pin-holes formed with a predetermined verticalinterval therebetween along a vertical direction of the stationary boardguide, wherein the stopper pin is selectively inserted and engaged intoone of the pin-holes in accordance with movement of the movable board.6. The running board assembly for the vehicle according to claim 4,wherein the stopper pin-manipulation unit comprises: a lower terminalfixedly coupled to an upper portion of the board body, wherein a firstside of the lower terminal protrudes upwards from the board body and asecond side of the lower terminal is mounted to the board body andelectrically connected to a power supply; an upper terminal fixedlycoupled to a lower portion of the board cover, wherein a first side ofthe upper terminal protrudes downwards from the lower portion of theboard cover towards the lower terminal; a coil coiled around the upperterminal; a movable body that is slidably mounted in the board cover andmovable towards the upper terminal when the lower and upper terminalscome into contact and the upper terminal is magnetized by an electriccurrent from the power supply; and a pin wire connecting the stopper pinand the movable body.
 7. The running board assembly for the vehicleaccording to claim 6, wherein the stopper pin-manipulation unit furthercomprises: a return spring positioned between the stopper pin and themovable board guide at both first and second sides of the return springrespectively and providing an elastic force to move the stopper pintowards the stationary board guide when the lower and upper terminalswhich were in contact with each other during magnetization areseparated, thus being demagnetized.
 8. The running board assembly forthe vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the stopper pin-manipulationunit further comprises: a movable body guide provided to the boardcover, the movable body being slidably received in the movable bodyguide and slides along the movable body guide.